When inner beauty was defined, the author had in his mind, Girl 2.  She has always been a most joyful child, loving, caring and sweet of spirit.  She is very smart, and oh so witty.

Girl 2 began her life in this world, late.  I spent the last six months of my pregnancy trying to stay pregnant, and a month before my due date she finally quit trying to make her grand appearance.  My due date came...and went.  Finally, the day arrived and we became a family of four.  I now officially had a collection of children.  Interestingly, Girl 2 is always the last one out the door and to finish eating.

From the get go, she stole Dear Man's heart.  He would come home from work, after midnight and walk into her room and watch her.  We don't know why but she always seemed to be awake for his homecoming, and she would lay in her crib quietly waiting for his happy face to look over her.  When it did, she would coo, and wave her arms and legs about in an effort to show him how big and strong she was.  I was never priviledged to one of these midnight outpourings.  I had spent a long, hard day being a Mommy, and I was going to have to get up at some point to feed her.  So I slept.  Girl 2 saved these happy moments just for her Daddy.   

To this day Girl 2 still has a soft spot for Dear Man.  She saves some of her candy for her Daddy.  She greets him every night when he comes home from work.  Not in the house, right outside where he parks his truck.  Rain or shine, the postman has nothing on a loving daughter! 

Girl 2 did everything she could to keep up with Girl 1, but she never tried to be like her or anyone else.  She is a girl unto herself.  She follows noone but Christ.  Because of this she is loved by all who meet her, adults and children alike.  She seems mostly unaware of this.  She realizes she makes friends easily, but she doesn't know why.  Not that she lays awake wondering about it!  You couldn't say that she doesn't care if she is liked or not, it's more of a matter of, either you do or you don't, so be it. 

Girl 2 has a quick wit that comes out of nowhere and is gone before you have fully comprehended where it came from.  You just don't expect it to come out of such a small, quiet package!  When she was two we were travelling in the car.  Dear Man was driving, I had shotgun, and Girl 1 and 2 were in the back seat.  All was quiet, until we heard a small voice calmly say to her sister, "I know where we are going."  Girl 1 asked, "Where?"  Again with complete calm, "We're going to the pound,"  and then a tone that suggested she was quite tired of Girl 1's presence, "To drop you off!" 

Dear Man nearly lost control of the car as we both whipped our heads to face the back seat.  Girl 1 sat there in shock for a second, and Girl 2 looked as if she had said, nothing.  Girl 1 was still trying to decide if her sister was kidding or serious.  Then Girl 1 gave a small, "ha, ha," and Girl 2 just busted up into giggles. 

She was not at all tired of Girl 1's presence, and she always gave me the feeling that if she, Girl 2, were not around, Girl 1 might not live.  One day Girl 1 fell and hurt her knee.  While we were in our very tiny bathroom, I attempted to clean the wound and bandage it.  Girl 2 started out next to Girl 1, asking her, "Are you alright?"  Then she hopped over to me, a mere three inches and said, "Don't hurt her Mama!"  Then she hopped back to Girl 1 and asked, "Does it hurt?"  Then a hop back to me to oversee my nursing. 

Her protection for her sister went too far one day while we were getting TB tests to become foster parents.  Everyone in the family had to have one.  I had my "shot" first to show the girls that it didn't hurt.  I then took Girl 2 on my lap for her "shot."  I felt that if I let Girl 1 go first, she would cry and scare Girl 2, who had just turned 3.  So, Girl 2 had her "shot," with no problems.  She didn't cry and she didn't try to pull her arm away.  This was going well, I thought! 

I put Girl 2 down, and called Girl 1 over to me.  Next thing I know, this mite of a child throws herself on her big sister and begins screaming, "NO!  DON'T GO!"  The tech, Girl 1 and I all stood in silence for a moment.  Girl 1 is now scared to death, the tech suggested we come back another day, and I was having none of it!  I removed Girl 2, and firmly told Girl 1 to come get on my lap.  She did as she was told.  Girl 2 seeing that she could no longer stop her sister from going to me, then threw herself bodily at the technician.  Screaming at the top of her lungs, "NO!"  I threw my leg up to keep her at bay, while my arms firmly clamped Girl 1 down on my lap.  The absurdity of the situation gave me a terrible fit of the giggles!!  I couldn't stop, and I buried my face in the back of Girl 1.  Once the test was done, Girl 2 calmly walked out of the office as if she was walking off a set.  She had done her best to protect her sister, hadn't accomplished it, but what the hey!  The day was still fresh.  I'm sure the tech thought I had no business becoming a foster parent!

She is the peace maker in our family.  She can't stand an arguement, and will often step in with a solution.  She is not perfect however!  She has started many arguements herself, but not out of boredom, sibling rivalry, or jealousy.  She is still young, and when she is very tired, sick, or just hurting in her heart, she will lash out.  I have confidence that she will gain control of herself as she grows. 

Girl 2 is not exactly photogenic.  She is pretty, but somehow, the true essence of Girl 2 just does not come through.  How do you take a  picture of personality?  We have tried so many times, and out of hundreds of pictures, we have a small handful that we can look back on and remember who she is. 

Girl 2 was an answer to prayer, and I am reminded of it everyday.  Every home needs at least one child like Girl 2, she gives me hope and her optomistic faith gives me courage to keep following Jesus.